The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-17
THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DEVIL,

In the Old Testament there are two
words which in their plurals are rem
dered devils in our version. There is
no word in Hebrew which is rendered
devil in the singular. One of these
words occur in two passages And
they shall no more offer their sacrifices
unto devils'' LEV. xvi. y; "And he DE
roboam) ordained him priests for the
high places and for the devils; and for
the calves which he had made" (II
Chron. XII. 15). The other also in two
passages: sacrificed unto dew
lis, not to God to gods whom they
knew not, to new gods that came newly
up, whom your fathers feared not"
| (Deut. xxi. ~; "Yea, they sacrificed
their sons and their daughters unto
DEVILS" Cps. cvi. 37). All in the New
Version demons.
In the New Testament there are two
words rendered devil and devils-dai-
nonion and daimon-and one, devil only
-diabolos. The literal meaning of ddi-
nlOnion is a demon, shade, or ghost
| This occurs both in its singular and
plural, and is rendered devil or devils
in fifty-six passages, all in Matthew,
Mark, Luke, John, Cor, l Tim,
James and Revelation. Nearly all these
passages relate to demoniacal possession,
and to the casting out of the supposed
ghosts -demons-spirits from persons
possessed.
Daim,on signifies deifed spirit, and
is. employed in five passages, with a
sense very similar to that of daimonion
in the fifty-six cases referred to. Dia-
bolos signifies accuser, caluminator, adj
versary, and occurs in thirty-6ve pas
sages, uniformly conveying the sense
involved in the definition. In one Of
these passages it is applied to one of
the twelve whom Jesus had chosen.
Ddimonion is sometimes used in YER
bal or participal form, in which it means
demonised, or possessed or vexed by a
demon or demons. There are fourteen
instances of this. Once it occurs in the
adjective form, and there means demon
ical. James iii. 15).
Returning to the Old Testament, we
find another Hebrew word with sig
MITIGATION like diabolos Satan, the
hater, the accuser, the adversary. This
occurs in sixteen passages-once in 1
Chron., twelve times in the poetic book
of Job, once in Psalms, and twice in the
prophecy of Zechariah. This word oc-
ours in the writings of Matthew, Mark,
Luke, John, and Paul, thirty five times
in all. In one instance it was applied
by Jesus to the apostle Peter. 1t was
twice applied by Paul to the civil power
or court of the Roman government.
Satan simply represents, as does diabo-
los or devil, whatever or Whomever may
be opposed to God and the working of
the divine spirit in man. Especially
does it denote the spirit of carnality in
man, or the carnal and selfish mind, as
opposed to the spiritual or heavenly
mind, the force that lis to be overcome
and destroyed, as the heavenly unfolds
into Christ, according to this Scripture
Forasmuch as the children are par
takers of flesh and blood, he also him.
self likewise took part of the same;
that through death he might destroy him
that had the power Of death, that is,
the devil; and deliver them who through
fear of death were all their lifetime SUBJ
ject to bondage" Heb. ii. IA, 15).
The devil, or Satan, of Milton, and of
the popular theology, is not Scriptural
character; nor is he verify according
to reason and the nature of things.
The devil that is real and according to
Scripture, and that is to be overcome
and destroyed, is the spirit of carnality
and selfshness in mans being. Mans
greatest foe, his most powerful enemy,
is the animalism and selfishness of his
own nature. This is that which lusteth
against the spirit, and which must be
resisted till it is subdued, until its
power to obstruct the course or retard
the progress of the soul is destroyed,
until Christ shall reign without rival
in all the life, and the union of the
creature with the Creator shall be COM
pleted. Christian Life.